The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-11-10

end find that neither of us know anything
as we oue hit to know. Here are hundreds
and thousands of SHINING, struggling and
dying people who need to realize just one
thing-that Jesus Christ came to save
them, and will save them now. But
we go into profound and
elaborate definitions of what justi-
fication is, and after all the work there are
not, outside of the learned professions,
5000 people in the United States who can
tell what justification Is. l will read you
the definition: classification is purely q
forensic act, the act of judge sitting in
the forum, in which the Supreme Ruler
and judge, who is accountable to none,
and who alone knows the manner in which
the ends of his universal government can
best be obtained, reckons that which was
done by the substitute in the same man.
ner as if it had been done by those who
believe in the substitute, and not on &C
count Of any thing done by them, but
purely upon account of this gracious
method of reckoning, grants them the full
remission of their SINS"
Now, what is justification? I will tell
you what justification is-when a sinner
believes, God let's him off. One summer
in Connecticut went to a large factory,
and I saw over the door written the
| words: "No admittance." I entered. and
saw over the next door: "No admittance.'
Of course 1 entered. l got inside and
found it pin factory, and they were
| making pins, very serviceable, fine and
| useful pins.
So the spirit of exclusiveness has prac
| tically written over the outside door oil
| many church: "No admittance." And
| il the stranger enters he finds practically
| written over the second door: SNo admit.
tance," and if he goes in, over all the pew
doors seems written: mo admittance,'
while the minister stands in the pulpit
hammering out his little niceties of belief
pounding out the technicalities of religion
making pins. In the most practical, com
nonsense way, and laying aside the non
essentials and the hard definitions of re-
| ligioH, go out ON the God given mission
telling the people what they need anC
when and how they can get it.
Comparatively little effort as yet ha
been made to save that large class of per
sons in our midst called skeptics, and hs
| who goes to work here will not be
building upon another mans foundation
There is a great multitude of them. The,
|
reason we don't know how to treat them
One OF this class met Christ, and hear will
| what tenderness, and pathos and beauty
and success, Christ dealt with him:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with al
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and W tn al
thy mind, and with all thy strength. This /
the first commandment. and the second is lik
this, namely: Thou shall love thy neighbor a
myself. There is no other commandment
greater than this.
And the scribe said to him:
Well, Master. thou hast said the truth, 70
there is one God, and to love m with all tn
heart and all the understanding. and all tn
soul, and all the strength is more than Who'll
burnt offerings and sacrifices.
And when Jesus saw that he answere,
discreetly, he said unto him:
Thou art not far from the kingdom of God
So skeptic was saved in one interv lew
But few Christian people treat the skepti
in that way. Instead of taking hold o
him with the gentle hand of love, we ar
apt to take him with the iron pincers Q
ecclesiasticism.
| You would not be SO rough on that ma
If you knew by what process he had los
his faith in Christianity. have know
men skeptical from the fact the
they grew up in houses where religio
was overdone. Sunday was the most av
full day of the week. They had relig
ion driven into them with a trip-han
mer. They were surfeited with praye
meetings. They were stuffed and choke
with catechisms. They were often toll
they were the worst boys the parents eve
knew, because they liked to ride down hi
better than to read Bunyan's Pilgrim
, Progress. Whenever father and mothe
; talked of religion they drew down th
corners of their mouth and rolled up the
!, eyes. If any one thing will send boy {
girl to perdition sooner than another tha
is it. If had had such father an
mother, fear should have been an il
. fidel.
Others were tripped up Of skepticisl
from being grievously wronged by som
man who professed to be Christian
They had partner in business who turne
out to be first-class scoundrel, though
, protested Christian. Twenty years ag
} they lost all faith by what happened in a
J oil company which was formed amid th
/ petroleum excitement. The compan
owned no land, or if they did, there wa
no sign of oil produced; but the presioen
of the company was Presbyterian elder
and the treasurer was an Episcopal yes
tryman, and one director was "a Methods
class-leader, and the other directors prom
inent members of Baptist and Congregs
tional churches.
Circulars were gotten out telling wins
J fabulous prospects opened before this con
pany. Innocent men and women who ha
little money to invest, and that littl
J their all, said: 81 don't know any thin
about this company, but so many goo
men are at the head of it that it must b
excellent, and taking stock in it must /
almost as good as joint ing the church, s
they bought the stock, and perhaps re
ceived one dividend, SO as to keep theI
still, but after awhile they found that th
company had reorganized, and had di
ferent president and different treasurer
and different directors. Other engag,
ments or i'll health had caused the forme
officers of the company, with many re
grets, to resign. And all that the sui
scribers of that stock had to show for the
investment was beautifully ornamente
certificate.
Sometimes that man looking over hi
old papers comes across that certificat,
and it is SO suggestive that he vow
he wants none of the religion tha
the presidents and trustees and director